Boss Paul Jewell slammed his big name players for talking the talk but not walking the walk after their disastrous 4-0 hammering at Burnley, but conceded that ultimately he carries the can for the Blues' run of six successive defeats which has seen them drop to 21st in the Championship.

Jewell says his players simply aren’t performing to the required standard: “I feel physically sick. For 35 minutes there was nothing in the game but then there’s the old Achilles’ heel — we concede from a set play.

“There are a lot of people with big reputations in that team and people keep on talking about what an experienced team we have and what good players we have, but they’re not putting out, that’s for sure.

“I don’t see anyone making a tackle, they can all talk the talk but at the minute they’re not doing it and it’s unbelievable from a team which not so long ago was looking like a decent side. Now we look like we can’t win a 50/50 tackle or even 60/40 in our favour.

“Their third goal the kid runs from midfield right through the heart of our defence. The first goal was a set play.”

The Blues manager says his team capitulated after the first goal went in: “I think in the Forest and Reading games, we were in those matches without playing well, but tonight the white flag came out.

“I think Mark Kennedy and Lee Bowyer were unlucky to come off because it could have been anybody.

“I understand that confidence at a low ebb but there’s no excuse for not making it difficult for the opponents and we aren’t making it difficult.

“We just want to play on the ball and look pretty, but we don’t want to do the ugly things in football that make teams winning teams.

“I know what it’s like to have a good team. At 2-0 down I’ve had teams where I’m thinking that we can still get something out of games.

“I’m looking round the dressing room tonight and thinking it’s a case of damage limitation, I can see it in their eyes. We’ve got to change that very, very quickly.”

Jewell felt for the 319 Town supporters who made the trip to Turf Moor, accepting that the buck ultimately stops with him whether the players do what they're told to or otherwise: “At the end of the day I’m the manager, I carry the can, but some of the stuff that I’m seeing going on on the pitch, I don’t know where it’s coming from. I expect tons better, it’s just not good enough.

“We use all these words - unacceptable, not good enough, this, that and the other, but I’m embarrassed coming to see you guys [in the media]. I’m embarrassed walking past those supporters of ours who have travelled all that way to watch absolute garbage.

“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility, but some of the stuff that’s going on out there is not what we’re preaching, in fact none of it is.”

He feels some of his players are taking matches too lightly: “It isn’t just another game, it’s people’s livelihoods. People have been on a 500-mile round trip tonight, probably have had a day off work, and then have to put up with something like that.

“Supporters will put up with anything, so will managers by the way, but they can’t put up with gutless, spineless efforts like that.”

Jewell knows that as the defeats mount up the pressure on him grows: “I’m not stupid. I know that if you lose six games on the bounce you’re not going to be flavour of the month, I understand that.

“I want what’s best for Ipswich. As I said when I first came, it’s a long-term job. It’s a massive job, a huge job and we’re nowhere near moving forward at this moment in time.

“But I’ll keep going, I’ll keep fighting and I think that’s all you can you can do. You can only ever do your best but ultimately I want what’s best for Ipswich.”

He believes that club owner Marcus Evans is still backing him: “I think so, but if he thinks it’s best to make a change, that’s entirely up to him. I want what’s best for Ipswich and that isn’t good enough for Ipswich Town. That ain’t good enough for anybody, never mind a team of this great tradition.

“Ultimately I have to lead the team out on to the pitch and it reflects on me and that doesn’t reflect me.”

Jewell now has to lift his players for Saturday’s visit by Watford, the Blues’ bogey side: “That’s the difficult thing. There’s always another game of football and the longer you go without winning, the harder it becomes.

“I said before the game that we need men at this moment in time and there are a lot of people with big careers, international players out there and they’re not doing enough.”

Conversely Burnley boss Eddie Howe had an excellent 34th birthday: “It was a good night, a really good night. The second half was enjoyable, I don’t think I’ve had many second halves in my short reign at Turf Moor which have been as enjoyable as that. I thought we were excellent.

“I think it was a strange game in that we created so many chances that we could have scored double the four that we did.

“Jay Rodriguez had chance after chance and to be fair to him kept going and got his reward in the end for an excellent individual performance. But what pleases me more was the team effort, I thought we were very good in the second half.”

Howe was also delighted that his side didn’t concede against a Blues team he feels is better than their current performances: “It wasn’t just the clean sheet for me, it was the manner of it.

“Although they’re on a disappointing run, they are a good side, they’ve got a lot of quality in their team. We kept them very quiet and I don’t think Lee Grant had a save to make.”

Photo: Action Images

Garv added 00:26 - Nov 30 Continued... We hear on commentary that players are even getting in each others' way, now that is a farce. No width equals no creativity. Not calling for Jewell's head yet but he isn't making it easy for himself. Both players and management are very much culpable.
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Kuqicoo added 00:26 - Nov 30 Well where do we go from here? Over the past couple of seasons I've thought many times 'it can't get any worse', but to have players that are so gutless and unwilling to fight? That tops it. They should all hang their head in shame. I feel sorry for pj..he's a decent guy..but ultimately its about results. But for players to walk out and let pj down and the supporters down in that manner is disgraceful. I feel pj can do no more and wouldn't be surprised if he's gone by Saturday. It's a shame as I had high hopes. I just worry that its higher up that's the real problem with our club. A faceless owner, a chief exec good at soundbites but with little knowledge of the game. What on earth has happened to our once great and admired club? I'm extremely worried about our future...

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woodpecker added 00:34 - Nov 30 Players should be embarrassed, earning 10k-15k a week and too scared to get involved in 50/50 tackles and don't create any chances... Show them the door! January is going to be a vital month for us
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NSL added 00:36 - Nov 30 Sorry, did I mention.. . . . . . . Januarys fixtures: Forest Birmingham Blackpool Leeds West Ham LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh dear.
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blueasfook added 00:45 - Nov 30 Jewell Out
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bluedragon added 00:49 - Nov 30 Each year i spend nearly a 1,000 pounds on season tickets for my self and my two son. I will say one thing Ipswich has DIE . Please people wake up and smell the coffee their is one thing wrong with are once GREAT club MR i know fcuk all kegg
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darkroonsitfc added 00:51 - Nov 30 earlier in the season did Pj not say he was looking for the right blend of youth and experience? where is the youth?? did he seriously expect the likes of bowyer and bullard to play near enough every game and keep the same standard week in, week out??? i went to the forest game, and bullard looked absolutley clapped out, not only physically but menatally too.......this team is too old in my opinion to keep up the quality performances week in week out, and the festive period is likely to go against us too, with games coming thick and fast, also we dont have strength in depth or even in the starting 11 tbh........we are looking at the likelyhood of relagation unless something happens soon, but i dont believe changing the manager at this point is the answer, i think we need to give the young hungry players a run in the squad, let them find their feet and see what they can do, surely its got to be better than this shower of sh**e...........

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roytheboy added 00:58 - Nov 30 A very good effort from our 3rd choice keeper, well done, the others on the pitch were mostly pathetic, we need to attack with speed, our build up passing is taking far too much time and usually results in sweet FA. (not one shot on goal in 92 minutes) !! I think that says a lot.
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bluedragon added 00:59 - Nov 30 P;S AM not renewing my season tickets next year first time in 30 years am not wasting my hard earn wages on a team that i love but has DIE I will go and watch lowestoft instead .A club witch is run better than our,s
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Keaneish added 01:02 - Nov 30 Given the teams positions we've played in the last 6 games...is this the worst run ever under an Ipswich manager. Sun's going down here in LA...and so has my interest in Paul Jewell, Chris Hutchings, Marcus Evans and Clegg.
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alex12345 added 01:06 - Nov 30 Admittedly the buck does stop with Paul Jewell, but like a few others on here, i really think he's being SEVERELY let down by some of the players. Bullard has gone from hero when he was on loan to complete zero (not necessarily from a fans perspective but in terms of his performances.) I was going to go on talking about more players and how they've let us down but ultimately we all know i would/could and should be here all night if i do that. Yes PJ does pick the team/tactics etc.. and yes, some of these decisions are questionnable at times (for example the diamond at nottm forest when Cotterill had said all week publicly that they had been practicing to play against a diamond), however these players need to stand up and man up. Where are the players? I feel it's about time people like Bullard, Leadbitter ("our captain"), Emmanuel Thomas and Bowyer should come out to the public and apologise for the recent performances. Being as well off as they are, they clearly don't realise that we spend HARD EARNED CASH on travelling far and wide to see this drivel and quite frankly it's sickening. (I am especially talking about our "captain" Grant Leadbitter. I mean, honestly, a captain that nobody hears a peep from ever. The guy takes us all for mugs.) This is the first time since we were relegated from the premiership that i've had genuine relegation fears and i still think we can easily get out of this mess, but we need to get a grip. 5 Games in December which are absolutely VITAL. If we go into january without picking up many points in december we are in real, bad trouble as January is looking a very very tough month. The performances from everyone in and around this club must improve, and they must improve before saturday.

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bluedragon added 01:07 - Nov 30 KEGG OUT KEGG OUT got no i dear how to run a football club sir BOBBY ROBSON MUST BE TURNING IN HIS GRAVE
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Garv added 01:07 - Nov 30 Credit to ALB, those slating him before the game should hang their heads in shame.
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Frankley_Blue added 01:07 - Nov 30 four words ... Lost the dressing room
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bluedragon added 01:12 - Nov 30 ITS NOT A SPELLING MISTAKE KLEGG - KEGG I WAS TAKING THE PISS YOU GET SH8T LEFT IN KEGGS
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warksonwater added 01:32 - Nov 30 We lost six on the trot. That was the worst run since, let me see, oh, last year. How depressing that before the seaon's half way through I'm already thinking I'll be delighted with top half!
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arc added 01:49 - Nov 30 We weren't winning the 50/50 balls??? Really? You put together a team of aged players on their last deal, loaners, and malcontents who have blotted their records elsewhere, and they don't have heart and fight?? What a surprise! Where is the plan here? What is the logic of the composition of this squad? What a shambles.
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finidigeorge88 added 01:49 - Nov 30 Lets all have a big pay day down the suffolk coast, no spirit, no desire,
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bobble added 02:17 - Nov 30 wheres that bloke jim magilton ? he was doing well getting us up the table looking like he could get us promoted then wham hes gone , and the useless dark lord trys to destroy the club and now this total break down of mind body and spirit surely when a thing is this broken it is easier to replace than repair ! can the wimpy players who put on our shirt explain to me how i am going to win my thousand bucks now ? if things weren't bad enough with the depression coming and the euro crisis and americas slide into a 3rd world poverty the pompous tories stealing all the countries wealth and rum pieces going up we have this ..a capitulation .....a surrender ...... a no show ..... a nothing performance from a nowhere nothing team.....................where have all the real players gone ?

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blue_floyd added 02:22 - Nov 30 What on earth is happening to our beloved club? I've been behind PJ since day 1, but I'm beginning to have serious doubts that he can turn this round.
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Garv added 02:32 - Nov 30 I actually think bizarrely Leadbitter is getting a raw deal on here and at PR from fans. He was nowhere near our worst player on Saturday and fought tirelessly. He IS NOT a particularly gifted player, cannot attack to save his life and does not make much noise. Fans complain he has the armband but Keith Andrews had it tonight, a fair choice, a more vocal player but he was abysmal as he has been all through our losing run. People have to realise the captain's title is not as important as it is made out to be. The Matt Hollands, Jim Magiltons, Jason De Vos' and Terry Butchers don't come around often and when they do, you know to give them the armband. We have no one in that category at the moment so it is not of paramount importants. A band round a players' arm shouldn't make them shout more or make them play better or with more passion, unless maybe it is a black armband, it you know what I mean. BUT, one thing I don't think you can question is his work rate. If he is not good enough fair enough to him its not his fault, but he does his best for the team in my eyes. This was evident for me on Saturday. A complete opposite situation is evident with Jimmy Bullard, he DOES have the ability as we know, but is not doing his bit, not putting in a shift, possibly not getting fit enough. He and Grant Leadbitter in my opinion are opposites in what is holding them back respectively. I don't blame Jewell for signing the Bullards and Bowyers, because we know they are quality players. But on a night like tonight you have to question his decision to play them and not fight to keep players like Colin Healy and even play Luke Hyam who I would sooner put in the midfield in front of ANYONE in our squad at this minute. Not slating Jewell for 'pushing Healy out' as some have on here because Healy clearly wanted out, but to not give him a chance when his seniors were performing so poorly is hard to understand. Leaving Martin out tonight I fear could lose Paul Jewell his job. These are the kind of bizarre decisions I used to see Roy Keane make week in week out (Townsend out of the squad for the derby was one major one for me) and its so frustrating because I and I know a lot on here will feel the same, that they genuinely think they could have picked a more competitive team for tonight than our manager. I stand by though my opinion that Jewell is no worse than Keane was, apart from (before you mention it) the goals conceded. To be honest I'm not sure Sonko would necessarily stop the rot right now, we are being overrun in midfield. I heard from commentary Treacy nearly scorerd one tonight but for Carson's pace getting back and making a tackle. I couldn't imagine hearing Kennedy, Andrews, Bowyer or Bullard doing that can you? Keane gave us 16 games without a win, and an identical run to this one in the league exactly this time last year coincidentally, he was no saint and it pains me to see people almost wanting him back. Tell you who I would have back here though, Magilton. Hindsight says we shouldn't have sacked him. He was consistent and gave us some brilliant times as manager, point off the play offs and less than a handful of home defeats all season being a couple, what I would give for that now!

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Jackie added 02:35 - Nov 30 outrageous
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VanIsleBlue added 04:52 - Nov 30 Nothing to look forward to at all. Jim Magilton was given a raw deal and looks like a managerial genius. We have a group of gutless mercanaries. Ingimarsson and Bowyer can retire immediatley for all I care. What is left but throw some kids into the team? Peters and Hyam. Why isn't there more talk of Clegg? He is the instigator of everything bad that happened to our club

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Benters added 05:59 - Nov 30 walk like a man my son
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Clive525 added 06:16 - Nov 30 PJ this is your Grimsby moment. Just go and take your mates with you
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